Jun 20 Sat
Should I be optimistic in my Christian life?
On the road, going up to Jerusalem, Jesus said to the sons of Zebedee, "Are you able to drink the chalice that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" And they said to him, "We can!"
We can! “We should feel encouraged at the sight of the many weaknesses and defects of the Apostles. Like them, we tend to be very human in our outlook; like them, we can be selfish and lukewarm; and like them, we also need to be corrected and purified."
When we experience any weakness in ourselves or in others, we shouldn't be surprised. Let us remember all those who, despite their undeniable failings, persevered and carried the word of God to all nations and became saints, and let us resolve to keep on fighting. What counts is our perseverance.
By relying on God's power, we can overcome all our weaknesses.
Along the road of our life, a journey of love, we are often confronted with the stark reality of our weakness.
The path to God is not a succession of effortless steps, nor is it ordinarily a straight line of uniform progress. To scale a mountain, a straight line is not usually the best route. In the interior life, God often prefers to lead souls along winding paths, trails that lead up and down, and at times even seem to go backwards, although in reality they are taking us nearer the summit. So, we shouldn't be surprised to find, with the passing years, that defects we thought we had overcome start cropping up again, or that there are new fronts to fight on.
St. Josemaría: “I am already old, and I still have many failings; so, you have the right to have a few failings as well. What matters is that we struggle to overcome them. At times, it's good for us to notice them. If we didn't, we would become proud, and pride separates us from God. But if we face up to them, we will have no other recourse than to be humble.”
“If your faults make you more humble, they are a road to sanctity. In a Christian's life, everything must be for God, even personal weaknesses; our Lord understands them."
We can always surmount our weaknesses because God himself is fighting at our side. He only asks us to be courageous and determined, never being satisfied with what we have achieved, and going to him again and again, confidently. If we cooperate, we will win, since we are assured of God's strength.
This reliance on God's strength gives us confidence and the certainty that we will achieve our goal of holiness.
And so, we go forward, with more affection, with more joy, more confidence, and more strength - the strength God gives us. We should never lose heart, but rather start anew, again and again, always relying on God's might.
If we rest on Christ's Heart, as St John did at the Last Supper, there will be no weakness that can make us waver.